NEW YORK – The Giants played their final game of the preseason last night against the Patriots. The game looked like it would be a blowout early in the 1st quarter as the Patriots first team players jumped out to a quick 10-0 lead within the first six minutes. Of course, the Pats were playing against the Giants second string players, because the first string guys never saw the field. The first half saw a lot of sloppy play and even the 3rd quarter was a bit slow but you could feel the momentum shifting. But then in the 4th quarter, the Giants starting working into a groove and were able to pull out the comeback victory by the score of 18-17.

The Giants were getting beat in most areas of the game and all over the field for the first half of football. It was very difficult to watch, as many fans expressed on twitter last night. They went into the locker room at halftime with the score 17-3 and fans were expecting it to be a long night from that point on. But there were two rookies who brought them back from the ledge by scoring a TD and 2-point conversion in the second half. RB Da’Rel Scott scored on a huge 65 yard TD and WR Jerrel Jernigan who pulled down a tough 2-point conversion in the 4th quarter. It was a crazy up and down game but the Giants finished strong, which is exactly what the fans, coaches and players needed. I am very glad that these young players pulled themselves up from being down and pulled out a huge moral victory. The game also saw LB Clint Sintim go down with a bad knee injury. My thoughts and prayers are with him.

The Giants Tweet-Nation was out in full force last night and anxious to discuss the game LIVE with other Giants fans. The G-Men continued their program of letting fans have their tweets show up on the TV during the LIVE game (Fans be sure to add #GiantsGame to your tweets for a chance to have them show on TV) and some of the faithful were lucky enough to find social media glory. Congrats to all of you who were on TV last night!

I would be lying if I did not admit that the first three preseason games were mostly disappointing even thought the G-men outscored their opponents 54-50 and had a nice win against the Bears. The biggest area of concern has become the special teams. They are simply atrocious. I expect big changes to be made with this group before the regular season starts in 9 days. If not, I predict the team will lose no less then two games because of the poor play on the special teams. I understand that injuries have effected the team (for three straight years in a row now) but that does not excuse the absolute collapse of the Giants special teams group. I cringe during each and every special teams play during the games now. Mark my words about losing no less then two games because of special teams. I do not think they should use WR Jerrel Jernigan as a returner anymore either, keep the kid on the roster as a WR and lets see what he can do.

The Giants must be down to their final 53 man roster by tomorrow and will face the Washington Redskins next Sunday (9/11/11 at 4:15 PM EST) for their first regular season game. Playtime is over!

Let’s take a look at some of my notes from the game.

QB Eli Manning – Manning and the rest of the starters sat out this game in order to rest up for the regular season, which starts in 9 days on 9/11/11.

RB Da’Rel Scott – Scott is simply electrifying and he gets another game ball from me for his performance. He finished with 114 rushing yards and 1 TD and 2 receptions for 20 yards.

S Tyler Sash – Sash once again led the defense in tackles and also caused a forced fumble. I think he has earned a spot on the roster from my perspective.

QB David Carr – Carr had a shaky night but still managed to finish with 116 yards 0 TD’s and 1 INT’s. He should be fine in his backup role this year.

WR Domenik Hixon – Hixon put in some work at WR and finished with 33 yards. I would like to see him take over the returner duties in 2011.

RB Andre Brown – Brown had a very nice game and is deep into the RB competition for a roster spot in a crowded backfield. He played hard last night.

LB Jacquian Williams – I would like to introduce you all to the rookie Mr. Williams who had a huge game. He was all over the place and finished with 3 sacks on the night.

CB Brian Jackson – It was good to see Jackson back on the field and I hope this kid gets a real shot at playing time. He had a nice game and a forced fumble.

WR Devin Thomas – Thomas led all WR’s with 42 yards on the night as he continues to fight for a roster spot like many others. He also returned 4 kickoffs.

QB Ryan Perrilloux – This rookie saw limited playing time but did go 3/4 for 22 yards when he was in the game.

CB Michael Coe – Coe is going to be a big part of the cornerback rotation this year and he had a nice game last night.

K Rhys Lloyd – The Giants continued to try and use Lloyd as a FG kicker, which he is not. He finished 1/3 on FG attempts for the night.

LB Greg Jones – The rookie Jones had a very nice game and finished with a sack to boot.

S Derrick Martin – The veteran Martin scored a TD on a fumble late in the 4th quarter. He was brought in to the team after the G-men lost 4 DB’s in a matter of weeks.

WR Jerrel Jernigan – Jernigan is not the answer for the return game in my opinion. He does however deserve at shot at WR. He scored a big 2-point conversion when given the chance to play WR.

P Matt Dodge – Dodge had another decent game and will learn his fate over the next 48 hours about his roster spot.

LB Clint Sintim – Sintim went down late in the game with a knee injury and had to be carted off the field. Another huge blow to the already depleted roster. Get well soon brother!

LB Mark Herzlich – The birthday boy Herzlich got a sack on his big day and continued to play very good football. This kid earned a roster spot.

DT Dwayne Hendricks – This big fellow and New Jersey native had a really good game and finished with 1 sack and 1 forced fumble.

The Giants Defense – This group finished the game strong, which is all you can ask for. They finished with 8 sacks, 0 INT’s and 3 forced fumbles.

NEW YORK – You have to love Giants owner John Mara. Here is a man that is a throw back to the old school days of NFL football. He was one of the first owners to address the media when this whole lockout started 71 days ago. He was one of the first owners to address his fan base directly with a letter explaining what was about to happen. Thursday, he stepped up once again and addressed the media about the current state of the lockout. He explained how silly this whole lockout is and expressed his feelings about getting back to work and coming to an agreement soon. The players lost their battle in the court system already but now we have what amounts to a staring contest between the team owners and the players. Of course, this is a $10 billion dollar staring contest and one that will not end without feelings getting hurt.

Mr. Mara urged everyone to come back to the bargaining table because nobody is making an effort to resolve the issue. He is right. The only way to end this thing is to get into a room and make a deal. One way or another, the resolution must be made soon or the very real possibility of a lost 2011 NFL season could become a reality. Mara is clearly trying to get something done before the point of no return. The point of no return is when it takes longer to go back to the beginning then it does to reach the end of something. We are now only 16 weeks away from the first scheduled regular season game against Washington on September 11, 2011. At some point, a cut off date will be given and that date will decide the fate of the 2011 season.

What do you think about owner John Mara stepping up once again? Are you proud to have an owner that consistently takes a leadership role among NFL owners or would you prefer to have an owner that stays in the background? I have already acknowledged that I prefer a leader with Mr. Mara’s style. Someone who can examine a situation and immediately know where he stands. Leadership like that seems to be rare these days but I am glad it is not completely nonexistent. What do you think?

NEW YORK – Tons of anxious fans will be hoping to win the New York Giants fan contest that ends next week. Voting for the contest began today after the team received all of the entries sent in by fans. The Giants are not accepting any more entries but instead have begun the voting process by fans. I’m very excited to see who the final 10 winners will be on May 24, 2011. Please remember fans that the contest ends on May 24, 2011 at 5:00 PM EST. The 10 winners will be announced sometime later that night on Giants.com and facebook. Anyone interested in reading some wonderful fan stories and seeing some very unique photo’s of Giants fans are encouraged to check out the Giants facebook page at the following link http://on.fb.me/msbHyP and vote!

There are so many interesting stories to read that I think you will be surprised. This contest really knocks out two birds with one stone. First, they provide an incredibly unique opportunity for true blue fans to win something you literally cannot buy with money anywhere. You must win the votes in order to have your photo adorning a New York Giants home game ticket. The second thing this contest does is give true fans the chance to read some of the most interesting stories I have ever heard and to see some of the craziest photo’s I’ve ever seen. All of this of course is done with class and with good intentions. The Giants are a classy organization and would not allow anything to be out of line. They understand that a lot of their fans are kids and try to keep everything as family friendly as possible, just like we do here at nygreporter.com.

Will you be voting for the top 10 winners on facebook for the Giants ticket contest? Are you a Giants fan who has already entered the contest yourself? Let us know what you think. We will also be listing the top 10 winners here on our site for all to see. I want to wish everyone luck and remember that you are still a winner even if your entry isn’t chosen. You’re a winner simply because you are a New York Giants fan!

NEW YORK – Hello fans, are you interested in getting to know the New York Giants first round pick a little better? Do you have a question you would like to ask rookie CB Prince Amukamara? If so, you will have your chance tomorrow. Prince will be doing a LIVE Chat on Eastbay at 7:00 PM EST/4:00 PM PST (links will be provided below). The guy already has his own sneaker coming out, can you believe that? Not too bad for a rookie in New York.

The truth is New York expects big things from Prince in the future. This is a city that loves to win but also a city that has some of the smartest fans in the world. They will be with him every step of the way and I’m sure by the end of his rookie year, kids all over the five boroughs will be wearing his new Adidas sneaker (adiZero 5 STAR).

Giants fans have already had a glimpse of the Prince from his NFL Draft press conferences. Personally, I found him to be a very nice young man who will fit right into the Giants system and there is absolutely no question about his talent. He believes in faith, family and football. I like that. I don’t know how GM Jerry Reese does it but he seems to come away with classy rookies every year. I suggest all of New York come out and support this young man and check out his chat on Eastbay. I feel bad that these rookies have to deal with all of this lockout nonsense during one of the happiest times of their lives. Hopefully, they can get on the field soon and begin working with their new team mates.

I have two questions I would like to ask Prince. My first question is will he be attending any of QB Eli Manning’s “player practices” at Hoboken high school in New Jersey? My second question is what jersey number he would like to wear as a New York Giant? What are your questions for Prince?

NEW YORK – Everyone has seen a photo of an NFL playbook. Some may have even been lucky enough to hold one in their hands (highly unlikely) and flip through the secret pages. The thing is as thick as a telephone book and must be guarded very closely by players. If a rival team happens to get their hands on your playbook, you would be in for a very long season. I was thinking about this old school way of doing business and wondered what the future holds for NFL players (can you tell I have too much time on my hands due to the lockout?) and the precious NFL playbook.

I began to wonder why nobody has suggested (maybe someone has) integrating the technology of the Madden NFL video games with actual playbooks? I am certain there will be pros and cons to doing something like this but heck, if the military is using video game technology to train the finest armed forces on the planet, it might not be a bad idea to look into it. Let’s face it, the players are spending quite a bit of time on their Playstation, Wii and Xbox consoles anyway. Why not make it somewhat productive? I can honestly say that I was the first person to suggest that “one day in the future”, coaches would send the plays into the huddle with microphones and headphones placed into the quarterbacks helmet. Of course, I was probably not the first person to invent the idea but I was certainly the first person to suggest it out loud among my friends back in the early 1990’s.

Imagine handing out CD’s to the players instead of those cumbersome phonebook sized playbooks. You could integrate true learning technology into the game that notifies a wide receiver when they run a wrong route or tells a running back when they fail to pick up a block. This would basically create an entirely new industry for the gaming world and put thousands of people to work overnight. The timing would be crucial and they would need to use CD’s that couldn’t be copied. There would also be an annual overhaul of the plays and new CD’s would need to be created before each season. They could even use secure internet connections that allow teammates to play each other in cyberspace (I’m not so sure about this idea yet), the way they do with other online games such as World of Warcraft or Call of Duty.

The term VP (virtual practice) would become a household name in America and the players might even enjoy studying their playbooks. Having a video game CD played on a dedicated TV in each players home can’t be anymore dangerous then leaving a huge playbook on the coffee table in the living room. If you take out the online capabilities, it would be virtually impossible for anyone to monitor the video game use. Each team would need to create their own “video game squad” that solely deals with individual team business. I’m guessing that this would be the area of most concern for teams. Can these video game creators be trusted and will they keep their mouths shut?

Do you think making playbooks into video games would help NFL players learn the plays faster? Is this something you think we will see come to fruition in our lifetime?

RD – nygreporter.com

Please visit www.hampscamp.com and donate/contribute to Rodney Hampton’s charity for the kids!

NEW YORK – I have been a fantasy football player since 1999. I have seen that industry grow into a $15 billion dollar a year beast. There are only a handful of websites that can claim to be big time in that industry. Among them are CBSSports.com, ESPN.com and NFL.com to name the big three in my opinion. If the 2011 NFL season is cancelled, I am sure that those three sports sites will be fine. But what about the smaller websites that offer fantasy games or the emerging fantasy sites people don’t know about yet? I’m sure this is the furthest thing on the NFL’s mind but it is just another issue that will arise from the 2011 lockout that has now reached 62 days.

Could the 2011 NFL lockout actually benefit the larger sports sites, by creating a monopoly on fantasy football by eliminating competition through attrition? I know there are a lot of people out there who could care less about fantasy football but the fact remains that thousands of people have jobs working on the game. The economy is bad enough right now without adding a few thousand more people to the unemployment line. Sure there will be fantasy basketball and hockey that will emerge in the fall but everyone knows the bread and butter of fantasy sports is football. If the NFL cancels the 2011 season, fantasy staffs all over the country will be cut in half or laid off. The reality of “no football” until September 2012 would set in immediately and effect the economy instantly.

Personally, I do not think they will cancel this season. The amount of money is so great that the players or owners will eventually give in. The players I feel bad for are guys like New York Giants DT Barry Cofield who get stuck in the middle. Here is a guy who has played his heart out since being drafted by New York and he could wind up getting the shaft over politics. Free agents are the walking dead right now with zero options. I am a big Cofield fan and hope the team does the right thing with him. We all understand it is a business but giving Chris Canty almost 3 times the money Cofield makes is a joke. I have nothing against Mr. Canty but even he knows Cofield had a better season then he did last year. There is no denying that fact. Barry Cofield is a Giant through and through and deserves some respect for his contributions to the team. Cofield expressed his frustration in an article this week that I found to be honest and truthful. What do you think about his situation?

Top New York Giants for 2011 Fantasy Football

1. WR Hakeem Nicks

2. QB Eli Manning

3. WR Steve Smith

4. NYG Defense

5. RB Ahmad Bradshaw

6. RB Brandon Jacobs

7. WR Mario Manningham

8. TE Kevin Boss

Would you add or subtract anyone from the list above? Do you think there will be a 2011 NFL season?

NEW YORK – The 2011 NFL lockout has now reached 61 days and the powers that be still haven’t worked anything out. Fans are completely sick of this situation and I know a lot of them that might not watch another NFL game as long as they live. I have to be honest, I originally thought the lockout would be over before the NFL draft, I was wrong. The NFL has to realize they are really mucking up the waters with each and every day the lockout continues. It’s time for men to act like men and get a deal done.

It is now going to affect the real work. The OTA’s, minicamps, film work, weight room workouts, free agency and most importantly training camp. Training camp is clearly the most important of all the activities I’ve listed. Everything is backed up along the process line. I’m sure head coach Tom Coughlin will adapt to the situation as best he can. The Giants organization will not make excuses and they will absolutely roll with the punches. As a fan, I’m happy to see QB Eli Manning and a handful of players take matters into their own hands by practicing at Hoboken high school in New Jersey. They were the first players that I’ve heard of doing this, holding their own little training camp during the lockout. This will be their second week of “players camp”. I applaud these professionals for demonstrating how important it is to them to improve their game and prepare for the upcoming season.

Still, the importance of training camp cannot be understated. We are just about 90 days away from the usual starting dates for training camp. It is beginning to enter a very uncomfortable period of time for both the players and owners. Something has to give soon or they will face ruining the 2011 NFL season at a time when Americans are suffering more then ever. Americans are hurting on a biblical scale right now and the fact that the NFL is considering canceling the 2011 NFL season shows how out of touch they are with society these days. They have left teams with about 90 days to accomplish everything I listed above, which isn’t very much time at all, until training camp is supposed to begin. Let’s hope the front office can figure out how to make it work and applaud them for staying calm and cool during this madness.

nygreporter Philosophy

This site was born on 03/06/10 in the state of New York. nygreporter is a home for New York Giants fans and writers. We are a family friendly website and keep the comments clean. Remember that kids read this stuff too. This is a place where football fans can come and go as they please, without any headaches. We are a destination for NFL fans who want real analysis and original opinion articles about the New York Giants. The idea is to continue publishing solid work and to build on the existing good reputation we have within the Giants community. Ultimately, leading to a full time paid job writing or partnership of this website with someone who can see the light and see the social media value of working with values.